


Wind in My Hair

by BookwormQueen27



Category: Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure (Cartoon), Tangled (2010)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-14
Updated: 2021-01-14
Packaged: 2021-03-18 15:21:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,335
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28745397
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BookwormQueen27/pseuds/BookwormQueen27
Summary: But, she was not the queen now, no, she was merely a woman, stuck in an impossible situation. She just wanted her daughter to speak to her, that's all.
Kudos: 20





	Wind in My Hair

**Author's Note:**

> This is slightly based off the the prompt given to me by BlueFlyingTurtle, so thank you for that. I'm working on a story for Varian and Quirin, so be on the lookout for that. Feel free to comment any mistakes you might find (I wrote this while tired, so...), anything you like, or any prompts you might have! Thanks a ton!

Arianna didn’t get jealous easily, (she swears), but she couldn’t help but grow envious of Frederic. Rapunzel had been back for a month, for thirty-one precious days, and yet each one she seemed to grow more distant from the queen. 

Of course, she didn’t want to pressure the girl into anything, afterall, the only part of her daughter’s past that Arianna had heard came from Eugene or Frederic. Each story was worse than the last. Tales of a locked tower and death creating a web in the queen’s mind, painting an image of her daughter’s life before. 

Arianna had even tried to gain some information from Cassandra, but the Lady-in-Waiting merely sighed and walked away, muttering something about chores. She wanted so badly to comfort her child, but she had no idea how. The girl seemed reluctant to even acknowledge that she was in the same room. 

“Just speak to her, dear,” Frederic repeated for the nth time as he got ready to turn in for the evening. Arianna kept looking at her book, a habit that she never could seem to break, late nights staring at unmoving pages, her thoughts overwhelming her entire being. “She’s so wonderful, Arianna, her art is beautiful, and she’s so intelligent-” 

The sound of a book being slammed shut interrupted his rant, “I know that…” The queen took a deep breath, trying to calm the envy that raged inside of her, “Why won’t she let me talk to her, Frederic?...” Her voice broke. 

The king casted a sad look at his wife, knowing how much pain she was in, “You know she raised by that  _ monster _ , Arianna, she’s processing-” 

“I know that!” Arianna’s voice echoed around the chamber, her hand covering her mouth in shock, “I know that…” She spoke to herself. Frederic opened his mouth to say something, but the queen quickly stood up, cutting him off, “I’m going out for a ride,” With that, she fled, something she was used to doing. Faking and running, for year after year. 

Arianna quickly ran into her chambers, and tore open the wardrobe, throwing the many expensive fabrics to the cold carpeted ground, her pounding heart covering up each noise. Quickly, the queen pulled on an old pair of trousers, faded from years locked inside of a closet (She wondered if Rapunzel had ever faded like the fabric), and grabbed a shirt a noble wouldn’t be caught dead in. But, she was not the queen now, no, she was merely a woman, stuck in an impossible situation. 

The halls were empty due to the late hour, it took very little effort to hide from normal the rogue guard. Just as she was about to the side exit, Arianna stopped. She needed to check on Rapunzel. Each night since the girl had returned, her mother couldn’t help but peek into the room, her heart afraid that the Lost Princess’ return was just another nightmare, and in the morning, she’d wake up only, as she did those eighteen long years ago. 

Bare feet padded gently down the wooden hallway as Arianna moved swiftly to her daughter’s bedroom, knowing the route by heart. Don’t step on that board, it creaks. The rug is folded under there. Each crack, each little flaw on the path to her daughter’s room, Arianna could rattle off. 

On the first night that Rapunzel had returned, the queen felt guilty about her doubt, and had paced the halls until she had built up the courage to look into the room. And just like the first night and the other thirty nights that Arianna had looked into the room, there was her daughter, asleep on her bed. Her short, brunette hair was in her face and the doors were carefully locked, as they should have been eighteen years ago. (Arianna wouldn’t admit it outloud, but seeing that her daughter was there, so at peace without her, it created a new wave of envy in her soul). 

Content that her daughter was safe, Arianna quickly made her way out to the stable, her mind calm for the time being. The queen watched as her horse perked up at the sight of her, the mare used to the woman appearing at strange times. 

“Good evening, Isa,” The horse let out a huff of delight as the queen began to pat her nose. “Ready for a ride?” The horse seemed to shake its head in disagreement, before turning its back to the woman, earning a laugh from Arianna, “Come on, no ride?” The queen was well aware of how stubborn her horse could be, plus, the mare was getting older, she could no longer go as long as she used to, a lifetime of travels leaving its mark.

Isa merely laid down as gracefully as a horse could, her brown eyes looking boredly at her owner, “Fine, but I’m gonna stay here too,” _ Because if I go inside I’ll have to face my reality, the fact my own daughter won’t speak to me,  _ words that were true, but unspoken. 

Arianna shook her head ever so lightly, silencing her running mind. Sat down on the hay beside her mare, relishing on the warmth that radiated from the mammal. Her eyes slowly shut and she felt so young. Arianna could almost hear the fire hissing from past travels, the echo of a story from a stranger who dropped by, the freedom she had worked so hard for…

The sound of a squeal woke the queen from her sleep, causing the woman to jump up in a daze, her tired body swaying as it stood. Her unfocused eyes looked around before landing on the source of the voice. 

“Your majesty! I’m so sorry! I-I thought you were a thief or a...” An excited brunette rambled on, the chameleon on her shoulder looking at the girl, concerned. Arianna hardly noticed though, the only thought in her head was the fact that her daughter was talking to her (Though, an apology doesn’t really count, she realized later). 

“It’s fine, Rapunzel,” The queen rubbed the sleep from her eyes, only then realizing how odd the meeting was. It had been the first time in, well, years that someone had seen her in something other than her gowns, and of course it had to be her daughter who found her. Rapunzel probably thought her a fool, she was the queen, and she had straw sticking out of her hair and horse hair all over her breeches. “What are you doing in the stable?” Lord in Heaven above, that was such a stupid question.

“Uh,” The girl looked around uncomfortably before holding up a ruby red apple, “I thought Maximus would like a treat, he really likes apples,” The girl’s bright green eyes looked everywhere except at Arianna, the woman feeling a stab in her heart at the realization. 

“He is rather fond of them,” An awkward silence filled the space between the mother and daughter, neither sure how to act around each other. Arianna let out a small sigh, before her eyes landed on the blue ribbons that lined the walls of the stable, “Do you know how to ride?’

Rapunzel’s eyes shot up in confusion as her brows furrowed, “Pardon?” 

“Horses,” The queen supplied, drawing shapes on the ground with her toes as she tried to think of where she was going, “Do you know how to ride a horse?”

The girl seemed to freeze, thinking through her answer, “No, your majesty, I do not know how to ride a horse,” The words were so silent, so fearful. It broke the queen’s heart, the idea of her own daughter being afraid of her. 

“Would you like me to teach you? And please, call me mo-” Arianna stopped as Rapunzel further stiffened, “Call me Arianna,” That seemed to calm her slightly, but the queen couldn’t help but curse her stupidity. She couldn’t push the girl, not so soon. Not after what that  _ woman  _ had put her through. 

“You would want to teach me?” Rapunzel seemed confused by the idea, “Don’t you have other, uh, important things?”

“Rapunzel, I slept in the stables in breeches,” Arianna let out a laugh at the obscurity of the whole situation, “I would love nothing more than to teach you how to ride a horse,” 

“I- if it wouldn’t take up too much of your time, I’d love to learn,” The girl’s eyes were filled with a joy like no other, the gleam creating a warmth that filled her mother’s whole being. “Is she yours, your majes-” The girl paused, a blush coloring her cheeks, “Arianna?” 

“Yes, I’ve had her for years,” The queen turned around to look at her mare, the horse giving her a bored look, “Her name is Isa,”

“She’s beautiful,” The girl suddenly remembered the treat in her hand, “Oh! I better take this to Max, he gets a bit grumpy when he doesn’t get his apple,”

Arianna watched the girl walk away, before she called out (Against her best judgement), “If you’d like, I could teach you how to ride now,” 

Rapunzel turned around in a flash, excitement radiating off of her, “Really?” 

“Yeah, you could even take Maximus, he’s probably the most tamed here,” 

“Of course,” Rapunzel looked at the red fruit in her palm, “Let me give him this first, and then I’ll be right back!” 

Just as she had said, Rapunzel came back in a flash, practically jumping with joy (Arianna was so glad the girl was no longer staying silent around her, though she felt rather awkward in her strange outfit). They saddled up both Maximus and Isa rather quickly, though it took a bit of work to help Rapunzel to get on the saddle without falling off, though both horses looked rather amused. 

The girl was rather quick at learning the basics, much to her mother’s amazement. She stayed back as the girl raced in circles, treasuring each smile, each laugh, each moment she had with her daughter. Arianna gripped tightly at her mare’s golden mane, her being filled with unmeasured love and anger. A strong love towards her daughter and the beautiful woman that she had become, and an anger towards all the lost years. She wanted to tell herself that these moments were enough, but she knew there would always be anger and envy pointed to the woman who had taken her child, who had raised her daughter. 

“Race you across the field,” Rapunzel called out, already rushing towards the opposite side of the grassland. 

“You heard her, Isa,” The queen quickly followed, enjoying the feeling of the wind rushing through her hair, the freedom and happiness that came to her through riding. Arianna quickly caught up to her daughter (She had been riding for years, compared to the girl who had learned hours ago), and slowed down, keeping the same speed as the princess. 

It went on for hours, the two racing and jumping over small hurdles, Rapunzel learning each new thing with an excitement like no other. Arianna had never felt such a joy in her life (Well, other than the moment that she found her daughter). It was high noon when they stopped, both women both hungry from a day of exercise. 

Arianna had offered to put up the horse, as Rapunzel didn’t have the slightest idea how to (Not that that was her fault, but the girl had tried to offer up her help). As she was moving to the stables, she couldn’t help but have the widest smile on her face (How crazy must she look, smiling widely with a windburned face, breeches on, and hay stuck in knotted hair).

“Arianna!” The queen turned at the calling of her name. Rapunzel herself seemed to be awkwardly behind her, “Uh, I just wanted to thank you, for taking time out of your day and teaching me,” The princess looked bashfully down at her bare feet, “It means the world to me,” 

Arianna bit her lip as she looked at the girl, trying to bite back the tears of pure joy that threaten to spill from her eyes. She tried to think of something to say to the girl, rather than a simple ‘thank you’. “Do you mind if I hug you?” The queen silently asked, not sure if the girl would be okay with the physical contact (Not that she blamed her, for most of her life, she had only been shown affection because of her hair).

Rapunzel’s eyes rose to meet the queen’s, tears in the corner of the orbs. Slowly, the girl shook her head before throwing herself at Arianna, the woman quickly dropping the ropes that held the horses to embrace her daughter. The girl nuzzled her head into her mother’s chest, tears falling from her eyes. 

“I wanna call you mom,” She sobbed out, so many emotions coming out all at once. Arianna held on tightly to the girl, her heart pounding quickly as she listened to the girl’s words, “So badly, but then I see her,” Rapunzel’s voice broke. “I’m sorry, I see her. I don’t wanna see her anymore...” 

The queen’s heart broke for her daughter as they sunk to the ground, “It’s okay, Rapunzel,” She rubbed circles on the girl’s back as she sobbed into her chest, “She’s gone, you’re safe here,” The girl clung tightly around her mother’s form, “ _ I will  _ protect you,  _ we will  _ protect you,” 

Rapunzel nodded softly, still sobbing into her mother’s chest, muttering so many things. Some things, Arianna caught, and they only added to her hatred for this Gothel figure, others she didn’t hear, but she still nodded, reassuring the girl. It may not be how she expected her day to go, but she was glad that she could be there, helping her daughter, speaking to her daughter. And the envy in heart may never go away, but her daughter was there. And though it may not be a ‘Happily Ever After’ yet, it was enough. 


End file.
